And so we get to part 3 of Disenchantment, a series with promise that hasn’t quite hit its stride yet… despite nearly 20 episodes. After 2 seasons/ parts, I was not invested in the characters as they hadn't been developed enough and the stories, while fine, were just not interesting enough overall. Would part 3 be able to change my mind?
Well, at the end of the previous season Bean was apparently burned at the stake for being a witch. However, she was actually saved by Queen Dagmar and holed her up in an underground cavern system populated by strange and horny elf like creatures called Trøgs. We see Bean, Elfo and Luci try to adapt to life in this strange new world.
Meanwhile, above ground the nefarious Odval is planning his Machiavellian scheme to replace King Zøg with his more incompetent and malleable son Derek. This is the main thrust of the season as we see Derek growing from a naive Ralf Wiggum-like character into a more confident teen by adventuring into the woods and going on a Walkabout to 'find himself'.
Derek's journey of self-discovery is well handled, as is Bean's adventure in Steamland but it feels like the show is treading water. There are a few moments of growth and plot development but the show feels flabby. At times it reminded me of Lost in that there were some episodes where nothing of consequence happened at all and the moments of emotion just felt tacked on. Elfo falls in love with a boat, Bean falls for a mermaid, Zog is relieved to find that Bean is alive again yet these don't resonate as they feel clunky and inconsequential to the plot and characters as a whole. This is a shame as this season has really started to develop the characters further but again, it just feels flat. Luci is barely there and says little of consequence whilst Elfo is the emotional punch bag.
I feel the show has a kind of identity crisis as it want to be edgy with a sense of insouciance but it falls flat. I'll watch the whole run of the show as I don't think it'll go for much longer but I do feel it's been given more than a fair chance but hasn't taken the opportunity to shine. It's a shame as we are living in a real golden age of animation and many better series have been cancelled yet this frustrating one remains.
LINK- Disenchantment- Complete Series 1 Review
LINK- Carmen Sandiego- Complete Series 1 Review
LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 1 Review
LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 2 Review
LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review
LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review
LINK- The Stone Tapes (BBC)- Cult TV Review
LINK- Twin Peaks Retrospective